.92 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE 



care to discover any marks of that order; the rock 

 acquiring the aspect of some granites, or that of the 

 irregular gneiss by which it is accompanied, and being 

 split into prismatic or angular fragments. This feature, 

 which was noticed in describing the Summer isles, occurs 

 also at Loch Greinord, under peculiarly interesting cir- 

 cumstances which will be presently described. Striking 

 examples of the same nature may also be seen at Gerloch, 

 where the vertical sandstone is so intermixed with the 

 gneiss that it is scarcely possible to distinguish the one 

 from the other; the external aspect of both being the 

 same. The occurrence of this irregularity in those cases 

 specifically where the angle of inclination deviates ma- 

 terially from the horizontal plane, appears to prove that 

 it has in these cases undergone a disturbance since 

 its deposition; a circumstance confirmed by the facts 

 already pointed out in Muligrach island. Marks of dis- 

 turbance, of an analogous and equally explanatory nature, 

 occur in several other places ; of which none are more 

 remarkable than one in Loch' Alsh, where one set of 

 strata may be seen reposing on another in an uncon- 

 formable manner ; both being straight, and the irregularity 

 and fractures occurring only at the points of abutment. 

 It might be expected that the pinnacled summits and 

 detached hills already mentioned, had resulted from the 

 waste of the erect varieties; but on Kea cloch, as 

 well as in Coul beg, Suil veinn, and most of the other 

 hills, they are produced by the wearing down of strata 

 nearly horizontal; the harder portions, in the former 

 case, remaining like pillars of masonry or artificial cairns 

 of stone. The islands in Loch Mare afford an interesting- 

 example of the horizontal stratification ; forming a beautiful 

 labyrinth planted with ancient firs, and the waters of 

 the lake winding among them in channels so numerous 

 and intricate, that it is difficult to explore the way. 



In the account of Handa it was already suggested 

 that the removal of large portions of this deposit was 



